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This is a letter in relation to a query by Bishop Bernard Coyne over funds resting in the parish account. Fr. Michael O'Flanagan had recently been removed from Cliffoney by Bishop Coyne, and as a response the villagers had locked the church in protest, an act of rebellion that lasted for ten weeks. Crosna, Boyle, Dec 9th, 1916. My dear Canon Doorly, I had a letter from Dr. Coyne a few days ago telling me that you had informed him that I had some Cliffoney Parish Funds that I had not handed over to you. There is only one thing that I know that you can refer to. A sum of £27 - 4 - 8 was held in the Hibernian Bank in the joint names of Father Shannon, Father Michael Keane and Mr. Bernard Clancy. The deposit receipt was lost or mislaid. In Dec. 1914 I got the three named to sign an indemnity form for the amount and Mr. McCaffery issued a new deposit receipt in the names of Father Shannon Mr. Clancy and myself. The interest accruing at the time was £2 - 14 - 7 making when added to the principal a sum of £29 - 19 - 3. Father Keane told me that this money was collected by Father O'Reilly for the purpose of building a ball court. Before the ball court could be erected Father O'Reilly was changed and so the matter has not been attended to ever since. At the time that I got this sum of money I had on hand a sum of £13 - 13 - 6 collected for the Volunteers. Not wishing to have too many seperate deposits in the Bank, I put in this last named sum along with the other, and so the new deposit receipt, dated Jan 9th 1915 was made out for the sum of £43 - 12 - 9. Afterwards the Volunteers called upon me for the £13 - 13 - 6 to pay for equipment which they had purchased. I knew that if I sent the receipt to Father Shannon for signature, that it would be in danger of being lost like the other one, and I was unable to get the money at the time. Now I hope to get the Bank to transfer the money without Father Shannon's signature, when I shall be happy to turn over the £29 - 19 - 3 and interest, to you and Mr. Clancy, and anyone else that you may name. The Cliffoney Church Account is in the joint names of the Bishop, Father Shannon and myself. The Bishop retained possession of Bank Book and Cheque Book. As this account is, as I understand, overdrawn, it can be transferred without consulting me. You will remember that I spoke to you about it last summer, but at the time you did not wish to assume liability for it. Until you were prepared to do so, I did not feel called upon to make any other returns to you. I now send you a statement of Cash Transactions up to the time I left Cliffoney. No cheques were drawn upon the Bank Account in my time, but two deposits were made amounting to £84 - 13 - 9. There are two bills to be paid, one for £5 - 8 - 11 to Mr. D. Hanly of Sligo, and the balance shown £5 - 11 - 5 to me.
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